The Honkys:
The Honkys! – 8 Track Disc By Ron Gruszczynski Rockin626.com:
Truth be told, I have known the Hazzard Brothers since….well, for quite some time.Built for Cruisin, The Honkys! 8 Tack Disc is road-ready nod to the Hey Day of American Music. This disc fades into “Going to Mexico” which comes on like a storm chasing you across the desert as you rumble towards the boarder. This instrumental track is all thick dark clouds of reverb sprinkled with shimmery twang in all the right places. Up next is “Reno”, a jangly road trip crooner dusted with Appalachian harmonies, highlighted by Bret Hazzard’s nimble guitar work and Sean McCarty highway wisdom. “Night is Young” is an upbeat warning to anyone in Bret’s way as he plans to get after it and keep the party going. Broy Hazzard’s high lonesome tenor makes for a perfect contrast to Brother Bret’s stone cold growl. Their voices weave and blend into a vocal tapestry. When Broy takes his turn on “Start a Fire” the texture of his voice takes on a touch of menace. This simple strum-along belies the sonic nuisance captured in this song.
The 1-2 punch of “Diggin’ In” & “Trouble” are a pretty good sketch of this band. The boys let their influencesshow a bit on “Diggin’ In,” a straight up box car shuffle which leads straight into the slicked back “Trouble” with a guitar tone straight out of a 1956 west coast clubroom. This combination has been a crowd pleasing staple of Honkys! live shows since the early 2000’s. The switchblade live transition is a thrill to behold and this studio version keeps the ecstasy in tact. The quick shift in rhythm and style will keep your ears perked. Sean returns to the microphone with the help of Thomas Yearsley of the Paladins on pedal steel guitar on the tear jerking “14 Years”. This tale of aging on a cellblock is surprisingly refreshing, providing a moment of forlorn reflection.
Bret steps back up to finish off the platter with ‘Old Cowboy”. The Honkys! love of danger and delight is made clear. An ode to the adventure of Old Time Westerns is offset with slap-stick overdubs. All in all 8 Track Disc is a toe-tappin’ party starter, perfect for the open road or a trip down to the liquor store. A must have for your music collection.